INTRODUCTION

The Acts of the Apostles is the first Christian work to trace the dissemination of the Gospel message. Written by the author of the Gospel of Luke, the book presents key events and speeches in support of the mission that Jesus gave His followers: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth” (Acts 1:8). It describes the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the witness of the disciples in Jerusalem and Judea, and the persecution that drives the Apostles through the Roman Empire. A pivotal point is the conversion of the zealous persecutor Saul into the missionary Paul, the most influential leader in the early Church. Acts demonstrates the struggles of the early Christians to deal with persecution, hypocrisy, old jealousies, and the cultural divide between Jews and Gentiles. It also narrates the spread of the Gospel through the eastern Roman Empire by means of the preaching and church-founding efforts of Paul. Descriptions of Paul’s ministry in Corinth, and the churches of Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, and Thessalonica, provide valuable contextual material for the New Testament Epistles.

The Epistles

Part of a larger tradition of letter-writing in the Greco-Roman world, the Epistles comprises 20 of the 27 books of the New Testament. Letters were taken to be a way for the author to be “present” and “speak” with the reader when face-to-face conversation was impossible. They often followed the same basic structure: an introduction of the author and the recipients, a short prayer before the main text of the letter, concluding greetings to mutual acquaintances, and a brief blessing.

Thirteen of the New Testament letters name Paul as their author. Most of them address churches or groups of churches with which Paul had contact. Others (1–2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon) address specific individuals, but with the apparent intention of being read in the recipient’s churches. The remaining letters (James, 1–2 Peter, 1–3 John, and Jude) are known collectively as the “general” or “catholic” (meaning “universal”) epistles. This designation indicates that they were written to churches scattered over a wide geographical range, or to all Christians wherever they might be found. The Book of Revelation, while not a letter in its entirety, begins with seven brief letters to churches in Asia Minor. Its apocalyptic message describing Christ as the Final Judge of the wicked and vindicator of believers was partly an encouragement to those experiencing persecution.

Academic debates

Given their nature as letters, the Epistles give readers access to one side of a conversation. Readers can “overhear” the authors speak to congregations and individuals. The situation being addressed, however, must be inferred from the letters themselves. This has led modern scholars to speculate about the nature of the societies in which the recipients lived. One important area of discussion focuses on opponents called “false teachers,” which are mentioned and/or rebutted several times in the Epistles. The false teachers included practices and philosophies, such as Jewish legalism and mysticism, popular Greek philosophical and religious ideas, speculation about angels and spiritual powers, and ascetic and ritual practices.

Fierce debate also rages about the authorship of several Epistles. Since the 2nd century CE, scholars have speculated about the authorship of Hebrews. An early tradition attributed Hebrews to Paul, but others credited Peter’s companion Silvanus, the early preacher Apollos, or one of Paul’s companions—Barnabas, Priscilla, or Luke. Some modern scholars have also challenged authorship of certain Pauline epistles (especially Ephesians) and 1–2 Peter.

A new beginning

Taken together, the Book of Acts and the New Testament Epistles demonstrate that the resurrection of the crucified Jesus was not the end of God’s work in the world, but a new beginning through the Holy Spirit. The Epistles, while written by men, are included in the canon because they are seen as divinely inspired. They unpack the significance of the Gospel message of faith in Christ, in the service of “teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).